In This Lifetime
by AMT
Summary: Inu Yasha and Kagome's relationship cannot work in the feudal era. Once the search is over Kagome goes back to her own time and continues on with her life. Will Kagome and Inu Yasha's relationship end in the feudal era?


Disclaimer: I do not own Inu Yasha and do not claim to. I am just a young lady who uses writing to vent out her overly exuberant imagination. 

In This Lifetime

It was finally over and Kagome knew it. She felt it as she ran to a collapsing Inu Yasha who had finally defeated Naraku with the help of Miroku, Sango, and most surprisingly Kikyo as well as Sesshomaru. As much as Kagome hated it, Kikyo did what she would never have been able to do as well as getting the only thing she really wanted; Inu Yasha. Kikyo said nothing as she surveyed the scene stopping as her eyes found the two before she turned and walked into the shadows of the forest knowing she'd see Inu Yasha soon. Kagome turned away when she could no longer see the priestess robes and refocused her attention on Inu Yasha's wounds, varying from cuts and scraps to a big gash on his head and a heavily bleeding wound under his heart. 

"Inu Yasha…" Kagome called. 

"Is he dead?" Inu Yasha asked.

Kagome didn't answer his question but tried to help the bleeding wound on his head. 

"We won." Miroku said analyzing his right hand that no longer contained a black hole in it. He looked at Sango who rested against a tree trunk tiredly. When she noticed Miroku's gaze she smiled and he couldn't help but smile back. The world to him, to all of them, looked suddenly brighter. 

Kagome opened her mouth but was cut off by Inu Yasha asking, "Where's Kikyo?"

At once a collected silence went throughout the clearing, no one knowing what to say. 

"She went away, Inu Yasha." Kagome said, "Don't worry about that now. She wasn't hurt." 

Kagome knew everyone was wondering why she was telling him this, she wondered herself why she was telling him, but she loved Inu Yasha enough to know he loved Kikyo. He could never love her the way she loved him. As Kagome shifted some of Inu Yasha's weight so she could bring him to Kaede the others trailing behind them. Kagome to distract herself from the carnage around her took in her surroundings. She'd never see this path again; never hear such quietness at night, and the wonderful friends she'd made over the past two years. It would be hard, Kagome reflected, as she stood out side the older priestess hut, locking out the vivid curses flowing from Inu Yasha's mouth, it would be hard to fall back into the now alien routine of going to school, graduating, and finding a job. Her grades would finally be able to heal from her plague of disease, accidents, and the other numerous contagious ailments her grandfather came up with, and get higher marks, enabling her to get a good job and maybe marry. The thought hit her hard, she couldn't imagine getting married to anyone but Inu Yasha and without Sango by her side and Miroku pinching female behinds when Sango wasn't looking, and how could she without Shippo's wise advice. It would be so hard to simply move on. 

"Kagome?" Sango asked, "Are you okay?" 

Kagome nodded, "Have you and Miroku talked yet?"  

Sango smiled and nodded, "We're keeping Shippo with us." 

"It's for the best." Kagome agreed.

"When will you be going back?" Miroku asked his arm in a sling and gauze on his upper arm. 

"Soon," Kagome answered after a minute of thinking, "maybe tomorrow the day after." 

"Just let us know." Sango said. Sango knew she was frowning but Kagome was her best and only friend, who would she talk to when Miroku got on her nerves? Inu Yasha's stupidity was blinding Sango thought as she watched Kagome walk away towards the stream, saying she was going to get some water. 

"We are never going to see her again are we Miroku?" 

Miroku shook his head, "No, we are not." 

Kagome was careful that the fish did not flow in the bucket that she was using for water and made sure none of them stayed in there. She was so intent in her meaningless task that she didn't sense she wasn't alone till the person was five feet behind her. But once she sensed the person she recognized the aura immediately. 

"Is there something I can help you with Kikyo?" 

Kagome ran the cold water over her face before rubbing her face with her sleeve and turning to her former self. 

"I wanted to give you this." In Kikyo's outstretched hand was the sacred jewel shinning dully in the moonlight. 

"Why?" Kagome asked almost unwilling to take it. 

"The jewel belongs to someone who is living not someone who is dead." 

Kagome shook her head her hands at her side, "I don't want it." 

"Then give it to Inu Yasha." Kikyo continued without skipping a beat. 

"Why don't you?" 

Kagome couldn't hid the resentment in her tone and she realized she didn't try to either. She would be gone in a day or so why bother trying to hid any of her resentment. 

"It is not my place, I was not born with the jewel within me and I was not the person who searched for the jewel. The jewel is yours…." 

"Then the jewel in yours. We are the same person aren't we?" Kagome knew the question was not true but she had to know Kikyo's answer. 

"No we are not. Do not waste my time with stupid questions, take the jewel Kagome." Kikyo's gesture was impatient and left Kagome with upturned her hands to catch the jewel. 

Kagome looked down at the jewel in amazement as the jewel shinned before glowing dimly. "Kikyo…" Kagome started as she looked up but only found herself alone again. 

_"Give the jewel to Inu Yasha. Why? He is only going to go to hell with that woman and has no use for it." _

Kagome held the bucket in her hand the other grasping the jewel harshly almost wishing her grip could destroy it. She would leave tonight she couldn't face them anymore it hurt too much to endure. 

"Tell the others I said good bye Shippo." Kagome said looking down at the little fox that had tears in his eyes. 

"Kagome can't you stay?" 

Next to Inu Yasha his little was demon was another reason she wished could stay thus being the reason she was leaving so quickly. If she looked at the two of them too long she was likely to beg Inu Yasha not to leave with Kikyo but stay with her. 

"I have school starting soon Shippo. I need to get back anyway. Who knows maybe you'll meet me in my time." 

Kagome smiled at the thought knowing that there were no demons in her time but Shippo didn't need to know that. 

"Really Kagome?" Shippo asked hugging around Kagome's neck as she walked to the well. Before leaving she left the Shikon Jewel to Kaede and notes to the slumbering forms of Sango and Miroku. She couldn't bring herself to leave one for Inu Yasha, for one she didn't know what to write. She couldn't really leave, 'Good Luck.'  She didn't mean it. Zoning back into the present she focused on Shippo.

"Of course," Kagome said settling the kitsune on the ground beside the well, "We can meet right here on day. You'll be all grown up then, right Shippo?" 

Shippo's smile was her answer and Kagome hugged the little thing before jumping into the well refusing to look or ever go back. 

"Where's Kagome Shippo? Did she ever make it back okay?" Inu Yasha asked.

"She's gone." Kaede answered for Shippo who was sitting on the window ledge refusing to look at Inu Yasha, "Went back her own time But I don't think she'll be coming back." She reached for something in the folds of her clothes and pulled out the Jewel, "She said to give you this." 

There was that sudden vast silence as the Shikon Jewel was dropped in Inu Yasha's hand.

"I'm going out." Inu Yasha announced a few minutes later staring at the jewel ignoring the protests of him reopening his wounds. They didn't know that they were almost healed anyway and he wasn't about to tell them that. As he walked started to take tumble through the events of the past two years, the battles, the true friendships he'd built with this companions. Inu Yasha never really thought of it but now was he did, he realized something important, he wasn't ready to give any of that up. Kagome, he wasn't ready to never see her again, he never figured out what his feelings for her truly were. Did he even love Kikyo? Or did he love what she represented, the image of happiness as the first person that accepted him for him. Inu Yasha was so consumed with his thoughts that he didn't realize he was speaking aloud.

"She didn't accept _you Lord Inu Yasha." A voice said. _

Inu Yasha whirled around to see no one. 

"On your shoulder master," The voice said. Inu Yasha looked down to Myouga sitting wisely on his shoulder, "I couldn't help but over hear of account as you were talking aloud. But back to what I was saying, the priestess Kikyo did not accept you; she wanted she could run away with away from her responsibility. She couldn't run away with a hanyou but she could run away with a hanyou that wanted to be human. The jewel can be only used once and once used she wouldn't have to be its keeper. You were a convenient excuse Lord Inu Yasha." 

Inu Yasha started to walk again. 

"You were yourself with Kagome, Inu Yasha." Myouga stated. 

"KAGOME," He stressed her name, "in gone." 

"And just what will you do My Lord. Die with Kikyo? Do you want to die?" 

Inu Yasha kept walking without answering him and Myouga sighed. His words seemed to be having no effect on his master. The last thing Myouga wanted was his master dead, Inu Yasha had so much potential as a half demon and in using a Shikon Jewel he could achieve greater powers and stature in becoming a demon. However Myouga's words had sunk into Inu Yasha's head his last words circling in his head, "_Do you want to die?"  _

And the question was Inu Yasha had to ask himself, did he? 

TBC 


End file.
